Advent Devotions

Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Intentional Interim, Pr. Steve Sylvester.

In one of the more traditional versions of the Confession and Forgiveness in our Lutheran liturgy, we say that “We have sinned against [God] in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.”  That’s pretty inclusive, and I don’t know that you can throw a wider confession net.  But I do think there is a way to throw the net differently.  Take Job 13:23. “How many are my iniquities and my sins?  Make me know my transgression and my sin.”

It’s one thing to go to God in prayer with, “I’ve sinned by doing X and by not doing Y,” but it’s quite another to say, “OK, you tell me, how many and what have they been?”  The former is to control the narrative, while the latter is to be a naked creature before the Creator.

I don’t know that I’ve ever written a Monday devotional with fewer than 400 words, but this time I’m going to come in around half that, because in this devotional, I’m asking simply that you use Job’s prayer of confession for a week: “How many are my iniquities and my sins?  Make me know my transgression and my sin.”  And part of this prayer, of course, means to give time to hear God’s response.